Sunday Savers...on Tuesday

 So my Sunday Savers post is a wee bit late. Story of my wonderfully crazy life!
As I have not planned this post, I'm going to just wing it. Wish me luck!

So here we go...

Save on the Grocery Bill

Best tip I ever had for shopping was to work on a CASH ONLY basis! When I have things planned out well and the cash set aside, I have a great month. If not, well let's just not talk about that.

After paying the bills, (even some of those are paid in cash and not by check or online, I pull out cash and put the money into the proper envelope, similar to the "Dave Ramsey" way. Which means that when I go to the grocery store with my envelope containing what ever I budgeted for, I know that I ONLY have that cash to get what I need. It makes it hard to over spend when you have no buffer! It also makes you pay more attention to each item, the cost, and if it's truly needed!

Save on the Clothes

Last Sunday Savers post was ideas on saving money by shopping thrift stores and recycling by sewing or creatively reusing worn clothing. This time it's about ways to save the life of clothing. Just a little CPR and...ok, just kidding. Couldn't help but run with it!

For those with boys, the simplest way to save the wear and tear on clothing...
...is to have them enjoy life in their birthday suit! Honestly, that's just about the only thing that will save clothing from some children. My middle son can wear through a pair of jeans in such a way, I would have expected an entire herd of wild animals to have taken a turn attacking the jeans.  It's a gift my boy has! Oh my!

For everyone else, there are a few little things that can and will save some wear and tear on clothing.

For jeans, pants, shorts, skirts, and house pants, there is not always a need to wash them every time you wear them. No, I'm not saying wear dirty clothes, but I know there are many times when we simply run an errand or two and the kids have done nothing but do school work and sit in the car in the clothes they had on. That's when I tell them to set the pants aside and wear them again before I wash them. Believe it or not, that will add a little life to each pair of pants or skirt. It also saves on the laundry loads! Yet, shirts, socks and undies are a wash each time for us!

Also, when washing clothing, use a gentle or a homemade detergent! Many of the store bought detergents are quite harsh on the clothing as well as your skin! Make sure you use bleach sparingly, too much too often and clothes will become noticeably thinner and worn.

Here is my post with the recipe we use for homemade laundry soap. It's gentle on the clothing but cleans it well, and has been wonderful for our sensitive skin kiddos!
Hint: to make it a bit stronger but still gentle enough for our skin, I add two cups of powder laundry soap (Costco, Kirkland brand) to the 5 gallon mixture. The batch I make usually lasts us, a family of five, six months. I can't tell you the exact cost per load, but it's pennies, I assure you!

Another small tip is to either only partly dry some clothing in the dryer and hang up to finish drying or to line dry any clothing you can. In the summer I enjoy being able to hang clothing, blankets, and bedding outside to dry! It saves energy as well as wear and tear on clothing. You can always hang items to dry on a shower curtain rod in the laundry room, or a bathroom.


 Save Time

I said it last time and I'm going to say it again...

TURN IT OFF!

Turn off the computer!
Turn off the TV!
Turn off the iPad!
Turn off the phone! (yes, you will survive)
Turn off the tablet!
Turn off the kids' video games! (they too will survive, even if they don't think so)
Even if you keep tech time to a set limit each day, or have a no-tech day each weekend, that time will add up and you will find just how much time you really spend away from your family and your "off screen" life!

Talking with friends and family, technology is the biggest problem for those who complain of not having enough time. Just stop and think for a moment about how much time you spend on or in front of these devices. Now, what could you accomplish if that same amount of time was focused elsewhere, say on your family? Think about it!

Another time saver is to prioritize! For some that may include making a daily check list, in order of importance, or keeping a planner with daily tasks and chores written down. Others may simply need to stop and pick two or three things they want to accomplish in a day and focus on those!
It doesn't take planning your day down to the minute, but having an idea of what you'd like your day to look like, within reason, will help to stay on track and complete tasks.


Saving Your Sanity

Ok, so many of us are fighting a losing battle to keep what sanity we may have. Yet, if we don't try we can't possibly win, right?

We all need that "me" time, but we so often neglect our own needs so that we can keep up with whatever else we feel is more important at the time.  If you stop to look at how much you do each day, how much you care for others, and how much time you spend on household chores or work, you might realize that you really do need and deserve to have a little time to yourself. Everyone does! Those who take the time to care for themselves are far better equipped to care for their family and efficiently carryout the tasks that need to be done.

For those morning people:
Time reading the Bible and in prayer is the best way to start the day.
An early morning walk or run is a great way to get going and start your day in a peaceful and healthy way.
My favorite, when I can, is to swim. There is something about being in the water and watching the sun rise through the large windows at the pool that just starts the day well for me.

For those not-so-morning people:
An afternoon or evening walk or run are a great way to burn off steam and keep healthy, physically and mentally.
Take a quite drive. Sometimes just watching the trees pass on a peaceful drive can help one think and relax.
Take time each day or week to spend on a hobby you enjoy.



***“Peace begins with a smile..” Mother Teresa

**“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

*“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi  (my favorite quote)


Saving is something we can all do better with. Whether it's money, time, or sanity we can all work to save what we need.
It just takes effort and the courage to keep trying daily!